Asbestos

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to amend the provisions of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 to distinguish the white form of asbestos and the blue and brown forms of that substance.

Chris Grayling: The 2002 Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations were replaced by the Control of Asbestos Regulations in 2006.
	The existing regulatory approach is based on evidence of risk and already distinguishes between different types of asbestos containing materials depending on both the type of asbestos they contain, and the propensity for fibres to be released if the material is disturbed or damaged. The regulations allow work on lower risk materials, such as bonded white asbestos cement, to be undertaken with less stringent controls than those which apply to higher risk materials.
	This recognises the evidence which shows there is a substantially lower risk associated with white asbestos for a given amount of exposure in comparison with blue and brown asbestos. This does not, however, equate to no risk.
	There is, at present, international scientific consensus on the classification of asbestos as carcinogenic, which informs government policy. We will keep this under review and until the consensus changes, the Secretary of State has no plans to amend the regulations.

Poverty: Children

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of children  (a) in absolute poverty,  (b) in relative poverty and  (c) with combined material deprivation and low income in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency;
	(2)  how many children are living in poverty  (a) before and  (b) after housing costs in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty in Scotland are published in 'Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland: 2008-09'. This uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in 'Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland' does not allow analysis by parliamentary constituency. However, figures for Scotland are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of children living in (a) relative poverty before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC) (b) absolute poverty (BHC and AHC) and (c) combined material deprivation and low income in Scotland 
			  Number of children - thousand  ( percentage) 
			   Relative poverty  Absolute poverty  Combined material deprivation and low income 
			  Period  BHC  AHC  BHC  AHC  
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 210 (21%) 260 (26%) 110 (11%) 150 (15%) 160 (16%) 
			  Notes: 1. The source of this information is the Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland: 2008-09 publication. 2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error. 5. Numbers of children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 children. 6. Each of the measures is defined as: Relative poverty: percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income. Absolute poverty: percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of 1998-99 median household income held constant in real terms. Low Income and Material Deprivation: percentage of children living in households in material deprivation and with less than 70% of contemporary median household income, before housing costs. 7. Income after housing costs (AHC) is derived by deducting a measure of housing costs from the before housing costs (BHC) measure of income. These include (1) rent (gross of housing benefit), (2) water rates, community water charges and council water charges, (3) mortgage interest payments, and (4) structural insurance premiums (for owner occupiers), ground rent and service charges. 8. BHC and AHC figures are given for the relative and absolute poverty measures. The combined material deprivation and low income measure is defined using before housing costs income.  Source: Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland: 2008-09

Agriculture: Overtime

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average monthly overtime payments was for a worker employed in each of the six agricultural wages grades in each of the last five years.

James Paice: We do not have a breakdown of the average monthly overtime payments for workers employed in each of the six agricultural wages grades in each of the last five years. However, details for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Overtime pay 
			  (£ per month) 
			  Grade  2007( 1)  2008( 2)  2009( 3) 
			 1 48 147 104 
			 2 165 195 178 
			 3 204 221 290 
			 4 351 403 529 
			 5 260 277 312 
			 6 286 208 221 
			 (1) Based on data from 4 quarters for the year, to January 2008. (2) Based on data from 4 quarters of the year, to January 2009. (3) Based on data from 4 quarters of the year, to September 2009. Due to changes in the structure and publication of the Earning and Hours survey, there was no survey in January 2010. These are the latest figures available.  Note: Figures are given for permanent, full time staff only. These figures are based on a sample survey, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error. Pay information is standardised to a weekly equivalent, but for this table has been converted to pay per calendar month.  Source: DEFRA Survey of Earnings and Hours of agricultural workers

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was paid to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in bonuses and other payments in addition to salary in each year since his Department's inception; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the largest 20 payments made in each such year.

Edward Davey: An element of the BIS overall pay award for staff below the SCS is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. There are two types of award:
	1. Annual performance awards, that reward staff who achieve a highly successful annual performance rating.
	2. In-year awards that recognise strong performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations.
	These non-consolidated variable pay awards are used to drive high performance and do not add to future pay bill costs, as they are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets. The payments made for both types of award are entirely related to staff performance. The in- year scheme was suspended on 9 July and no payments have been made to staff since that date.
	Performance awards for the SCS are part of the pay system across the whole senior civil service, and are used to reward high performance sustained throughout the year, based on judgments about how well an individual has performed relative to their peers. The performance related pay scheme is designed to help drive high performance and support better public service delivery. Performance awards are non-consolidated and non pensionable. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
	 The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
	BIS was formed through a machinery of government (MoG) change that occurred in June 2009. The Department was created by merging the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
	The following table shows the number of payments that were made in BIS to non-SCS staff and the costs to the Department in 2009-10.
	
		
			   Number of awards  Amount (£) 
			 In-year performance awards paid between April 2009 and March 2010 884 438,324 
			 Annual performance awards paid in August 2009 1,006 1,326,510 
			
			 Total spend - 1,764,834 
		
	
	The following table shows the cost and number of payments that were made to staff via the in year scheme in 2010/11 before it was suspended on 9 July.
	
		
			   Number of awards  Amount (£) 
			 In-year performance awards paid between April 2010 and July 2010 288 147,585 
			
			 Total spend  147,585 
		
	
	No annual performance payments have yet been made to non-SCS staff in 2010-11.
	For 2009-10 the Senior Salaries Review Body advised Departments that up to 8.6% of their SCS pay bill could be used for non-consolidated awards for the SCS. In BIS just under 5% was actually awarded.
	
		
			  SCS 2009/10 performance awards paid in July 2010 
			  Number of awards  Amount(£) 
			 162 969,946 
		
	
	The following table shows the top 20 performance payments that were made to BIS staff in 2010.
	
		
			  SCS performance year 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 with payments made July 2010 
			  Payment  £ 
			 1 16,500 
			 2 15,875 
			 3 15,000 
			 4 14,500 
			 5 14,000 
			 6 13,000 
			 7 12,436 
			 8 11,500 
			 9 10,500 
			 10 10,500 
			 11 10,150 
			 12 10,148 
			 13 9,338 
			 14 9,000 
			 15 9,000 
			 16 9,000 
			 17 9,000 
			 18 9,000 
			 19 9,000 
			 20 9,000 
		
	
	A small number of individuals are employed on non-standard SCS contracts which link a higher percentage of their pay to delivery based objectives.
	The Department has not made any non-consolidated payments to staff outside of the arrangements described above unless they have been part of contractual severance arrangements.
	The information for non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Paternity Leave

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2010,  Official Report, column 335W, on paternity leave, how many business owners employing fewer than 10 people were spoken to directly regarding the policy on additional paternity leave.

Edward Davey: A consultation on additional paternity leave was launched in September 2009 ahead of the introduction to Parliament of draft regulations introducing additional paternity leave. All business owners were given the opportunity to respond to the consultation.
	Of the 111 responses received, 4.5% were from business owners with 0-9 employees.
	Further details on the responses to the consultation can be found at
	www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/10-567-additional-paternity-leave-response.pdf
	Previous consultations took place in 2005, 2006 and 2008 on proposals to introduce additional paternity leave to which all business owners were invited to respond.

Postgraduate Education: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of implementation of the Browne Review recommendations on funding for  (a) the teaching of postgraduate study and  (b) postgraduate student maintenance; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will receive its annual grant letter setting out its allocation of teaching grant and other funding lines for 2011-12 by January 2011. Lord Browne considered the student support regime for post graduate students. However, he concluded that no changes were required as there was little evidence of a detrimental impact on access to postgraduate education. They will however continue to benefit from access to Professional and Career Development Loans.

Royal Mail

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the future ownership of the Royal Mail; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Government have discussed developments in the postal market and Royal Mail's role in that market with a range of interested parties, including Royal Mail, the unions, other mail operators, Postcomm, Ofcom and Consumer Focus in recent months. We also asked Richard Hooper to update his independent report on the future of the universal service. Our policy on ownership was set out in the policy statement that we published alongside introduction of the Postal Services Bill on 13 October.
	Copies of this statement "Delivering for the future-a universal mail service and community post offices in the digital age" were laid in the House Libraries and it can also be viewed on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skill's website at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/d/10-1206-delivering-universal-mail-service-community-post-offices.pdf

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department have been  (a) subject to disciplinary action,  (b) removed from post,  (c) transferred to another position and  (d) dismissed for matters relating to their (i) disciplinary record and (ii) performance in each year since his Department's inception.

Gregory Barker: We unable to provide information requested about dismissals as totals of five or less are suppressed on the grounds of confidentiality under section 40 of the Data Protection Act. However staff may be dismissed for poor performance, poor attendance, gross misconduct or repeated misconduct
	We are unable to provide the other information requested as responsibility for commencing capability and minor disciplinary procedures rests with line management across the Department. No records are collated centrally regarding how many procedures are initiated in the Department since its inception in October 2008.

Clinical Wastes: Recycling

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the potential to increase the proportion of medically related waste that is recycled.

Simon Burns: The Department collects data on national health service related waste disposal and recycling rates through the Estates Returns Information Collection system. Data analysis shows a significant increase in recycling from 11% in 2008-09 to 18% for 2009-10, with a corresponding reduction in waste disposal as follows:
	
		
			  Waste disposal route  Percentage reduction from 2008-09 to 2009-10 
			 High temperature disposal 1.7 
			 Alternative non-bum technology 2.8 
			 Landfill 13.1 
		
	
	The Department provides guidance on the management of waste in 'Health Technical Memorandum: 07-01 Safe management of healthcare waste', which has already been placed in the Library.
	The Government will incentivise waste producers to reduce their waste through a number of measures including the landfill tax and legislation covering the polluter pays principle, which will give waste producers greater responsibility for waste production and their choice to use sustainable waste management options. The White Paper, 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS', empowers providers, giving them more autonomy and, in return, making them more accountable for the results they achieve to the public at local level.

Monitor

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral statement of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 505-6, on public bodies reform, what the functions of Monitor are; which additional functions it will assume when it becomes an economic regulator; and from which bodies these functions will be transferred.

Simon Burns: Monitor's function as independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts (FTs) is set out in the NHS Act 2006. The Government have set out their proposal in the consultation document; "Liberating the NHS: Regulating Healthcare providers (July 2010)" which is to develop Monitor into an economic regulator for health and adult social care.
	Subject to legislation, Monitor's role would change significantly and consequently, Monitor would not retain all of its existing powers as the regulator of FTs, but would extend its role in relation to providers more generally.
	Monitor's overarching duty would be to protect the interests of patients and the public in the provision of health and adult social care services, by promoting competition where appropriate, and through regulation where necessary, including price regulation.
	Monitor would be required to take a consistent approach to licensing and regulation of all providers.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department have been  (a) subject to disciplinary action,  (b) removed from post,  (c) transferred to another position and  (d) dismissed for matters relating to their (i) disciplinary record and (ii) performance in each year since 1997.

Alistair Burt: Records are only available in the form requested for UK based Foreign and Commonwealth officials. Records for overseas based officials are not held in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The number of officials who have been  (a) subject to disciplinary action in each year since 1997 are:
	
		
			   Number of officials 
			 1997 37 
			 1998 28 
			 1999 20 
			 2000 8 
			 2001 15 
			 2002 7 
			 2003 27 
			 2004 5 
			 2005 16 
			 2006 25 
			 2007 18 
			 2008 31 
			 2009 33 
			 2010 27 
		
	
	The details requested at  (b) and  (c) are not held centrally or available in the form requested and would be available only at a disproportionate cost.
	As there are fewer than five dismissals for matters relating to  (d) (i) disciplinary record in each year since 1997, details are withheld on the grounds of confidentiality.
	Central records for matters relating to  (d) (ii) have only been maintained since 2006. As there are fewer than five dismissals in each year since records have been maintained, details are withheld on the grounds of confidentiality.

Departmental Contracts

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of quality management statements in assisting with contract decisions by his Department; and what assessment he has made of the effects on the prospects for small businesses of winning contracts of such statements.

Bob Neill: Although quality management statements are considered during the evaluation of tenders no overall assessment has been made on their effectiveness on contract award.
	Although 16% of the DCLG's spend last year was with small and medium-sized enterprises, the Department recognises that it can be difficult for these enterprises to win central Government contracts for variety of reasons. It is, therefore, making steps to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises can be used as second tier suppliers. In particular we will be incorporating the best practice in the Office of Government Commerce guidance into our processes and systems.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the per capita level of his Department's Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit allocated in  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period;
	(2)  how much and what proportion of his Department's Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits will be allocated to  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of his Department's capital Departmental Expenditure Limit per head in  (a) London and  (b) the North West in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Bob Neill: The data requested for the spending review 2010 is not yet available. The Department is at present working through its settlement in order to allocate the resources available. This process will be completed in due course. We expect to complete this exercise well in advance of the start of the next financial year (1 April 2011).
	After the Department has allocated the spending review settlement, these data will be used to complete the Country and Regional Analysis:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa10.htm#cra
	in the 2012 exercise. It should be noted that these allocations comprise planned expenditure only, and are therefore subject to change. Due to the statistical nature of the analysis, the subsequent analysis is open to interpretation and is not designated as "National Statistics".

Departmental Manpower

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on  (a) consultants,  (b) agency staff and  (c) fixed-term contractors in the last five months; and whether he has made an estimate of his Department's expenditure on such personnel in (i) the remainder of 2010-11 and (ii) each of the subsequent four financial years.

Bob Neill: Under the initiative to open up Government spending over £500 details of the Department's expenditure, including consultants and agency staff (fixed-term contractors will appear under agency staff), have already been published for the first quarter of 2010-11 and can be found here:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/spendingdata1011
	Figures for the next quarter will be published at the end of October.
	Forecast spend for the remaining six months of 2010-11 is £0.7 million for contract and agency staff and £6.7 million for consultancies. However, we have introduced stringent controls which are likely to reduce expenditure in these areas.
	There is a moratorium in place on consultancy expenditure over £20,000, exemptions to which can only be authorised by the Permanent Secretary. There is also a vacancy freeze which prohibits the recruitment of interim or agency staff unless authorised by the Secretary of State.
	No estimates have been made for the subsequent four years.

Local Government

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to devolve more powers to local authorities.

Greg Clark: I have been tasked by the Prime Minister to take forward the coalition's commitment to decentralise power away from Whitehall and towards local government, communities and individuals. Measures have already been announced including the removal of central burdens such as the comprehensive area assessment, the removal of centrally prescribed indicators and targets, and the abolition of the Standards Board.
	In order to free up local areas, funding to local authorities and delivery bodies be radically simplified, giving them greater choice over how to use their money to meet the needs of local people. The forthcoming Localism Bill will introduce measures which empower local government such as the general power of competence. I will be reporting to the Prime Minister in summer 2011 with an update on the progress the Government have made to push power down to the lowest possible level.

Social Rented Housing

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of housing is  (a) social housing and  (b) private sector (i) owner-occupied and (ii) rented housing.

Andrew Stunell: The following table shows the proportion of social and private sector housing as at 1 April 2009 in England and is derived from live table 100 published at the Communities and Local Government website.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table100.xls
	
		
			  Thousand 
			   Social housing   
			   Local authority  Registered social landlords  Other public sector  Private sector  
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total 
			 England 1,820 8 2,195 10 74 - 18,476 82 22,564 
			  Sources: Housing Flows Reconciliation and joint returns by local authorities; Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) submitted to Communities and Local Government by local authorities; Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) as reported to the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) by registered social landlords. 
		
	
	Estimates on an equivalent basis are not available for the private rented and owner occupied sectors.
	However, estimates of the proportion of the private rented and owner occupied sectors are available in the Survey of English Housing (SHE). These figures are however not comparable to the figures shown in the answer, because the SEH is based on survey data and the figures in the answer to the PQ on administrative data.
	The web link to the latest published SHE data is:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/1479789.pdf

Social Rented Housing: Cumbria

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of housing in Carlisle constituency is  (a) social housing and  (b) private sector (i) owner-occupied and (ii) rented housing.

Andrew Stunell: Statistics on dwelling stock are not collected at constituency level. Local authority level figures are published in Housing Statistics live table 100 at the Communities and Local Government website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table100.xls
	The figures show stock by private, registered social landlords and local authority. Estimates are not available for the private rented and owner occupied sectors.

Social Rented Housing: Cumbria

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of housing in Cumbria is  (a) social housing and  (b) private sector (i) owner-occupied and (ii) rented housing.

Andrew Stunell: The following table shows for Cumbria number and the proportion of dwellings by tenure at 1 April. The table is derived from live table 100 published at the Communities and Local Government website.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table100.xls
	
		
			  Number 
			   Social housing
			   Local authority  Registered social landlords  Other public sector  Private sector  
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total 
			 Cumbria 5,940 3 26,560 11 210 - 201,550 86 234,260 
			  Sources: Housing Flows Reconciliation and joint returns by local authorities; Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) submitted to Communities and Local Government by local authorities; Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) as reported to Tenant Services Authority (TSA) by registered social landlords. 
		
	
	Estimates are not available for the private rented and owner occupied sectors.

Airlines

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that air fares advertised by low-cost airlines accurately reflect the cost to the consumer in flying.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 26 October 2010
	Airlines are required by European rules on air fare transparency to indicate at all times the final price to be paid, including all applicable taxes, charges, surcharges and fees which are unavoidable and foreseeable at the time of publication. Any optional price supplements should be clearly communicated at the start of the booking process. We expect to introduce an enforcement regime for these requirements early in 2011, including penalties for non-compliance.

Bus Services: Concessions

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for future funding of concessionary bus passes for older people; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect of his policy in this respect on rural communities.

Norman Baker: Currently, the bulk of concessionary travel funding is provided through formula grant by Communities and Local Government, with the remainder provided through special grant from the Department for Transport. Special grant funding provided by DFT was only intended to cover the period from 2008-09 through to 2010-11. From April 2011 this funding will be subsumed into formula grant alongside the rest of the funding for concessionary travel.
	Communities and Local Government held a consultation, which closed 6 October, on the distribution of formula grant to local authorities in England from 2010-11. The consultation process provided an opportunity for local authorities to influence decisions on the final distribution method. Consultation responses submitted by rural communities will be considered by Communities and Local Government in arriving at a final distribution method.

First Capital Connect

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the level of  (a) punctuality and  (b) overcrowding in respect of rail services on the First Capital Connect line between St Albans and London; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 26 October 2010
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 14 July 2010,  Official Report, column 722W, this year in response to a similar question concerning punctuality and reliability and passengers in excess numbers for rail services on the St Albans to London route.
	The following table confirms Public Performance Measure detail since the answer given on 14 July this year.
	
		
			   PPM  PPM MMA 
			 27 June to 24 July 2010 89.5 89.2 
			 25 July to 21 August 2010 93.4 89.3 
			 22 August to 18 September 2010 91.9 89.2 
			 PPM = Public Performance Measure. MMA = Moving Annual Average.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Surveillance

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has spent on surveillance flights to monitor pollution from shipping across the UK Counter Pollution Zone in the last 12 months.

Michael Penning: holding answer 26 October 2010
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency spent £1,618,531 on surveillance flights in the period October 2009 to September 2010.

Drugs

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the savings to the criminal justice system of the decriminalisation of drugs.

Crispin Blunt: Neither the MoJ nor the Home Office have carried out a systematic analysis of the financial impact on the criminal justice system of decriminalisation of illegal drugs. Such an analysis would be highly complicated to carry out, require considerable resources, and would not be justified against the background of the Government's clear position that decriminalisation of drugs would not be in the broader interests of the community or to discourage the use of drugs.

Magistrates Courts

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the rate of utilisation was of each magistrates court in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested on utilisation rates of each magistrates courts in England and Wales for the period April to June 2010 is within the following table:
	
		
			  Utilisation rates of each magistrates court in England and Wales for periods April  to  June 2010 
			  Courthouse  Courtroom utilisation (percentage) 
			 Aberdare 44.3 
			 Abertillery 47.4 
			 Aberystwyth 55.5 
			 Aldershot 69.5 
			 Alnwick 56.6 
			 Alton 63.8 
			 Ammanford 61.6 
			 Andover 21.4 
			 Ashford 62.5 
			 Aylesbury 88.4 
			 Banbury 77.2 
			 Barking (East Street) 69.1 
			 Barnsley 61.7 
			 Barnstaple 72.4 
			 Barrow in Furness 64.9 
			 Barry 54.1 
			 Basildon 67.6 
			 Basingstoke 82.8 
			 Bath 70.6 
			 Bedford 67.0 
			 Berwick upon Tweed 57.7 
			 Beverley 44.8 
			 Bexley 78.2 
			 Bicester 59.9 
			 Bingley 66.3 
			 Birkenhead 60.6 
			 Birmingham (Corporation St) 62.4 
			 Bishop Auckland 33.2 
			 Blackburn 71.8 
			 Blackpool 88.6 
			 Blackwood Family Court 17.5 
			 Blaydon 39.8 
			 Bodmin 73.8 
			 Bolton 62.8 
			 Bootle 81.7 
			 Boston 42.9 
			 Bournemouth 72.5 
			 Bracknell 59.0 
			 Bradford 52.7 
			 Brecon 29.7 
			 Brent 51.8 
			 Brentford 19.9 
			 Bridgend 55.8 
			 Bridgwater 51.2 
			 Bridlington 43.5 
			 Brighton 75.7 
			 Bristol 86.0 
			 Bromley (London Road) 71.7 
			 Burnley 77.8 
			 Burton upon Trent 50.5 
			 Bury 61.4 
			 Bury St Edmunds 62.8 
			 Buxton 59.0 
			 Caernarfon 73.0 
			 Caerphilly 82.6 
			 Calderdale 57.8 
			 Camberwell Green 93.3 
			 Camborne (Bassett Rd) 26.7 
			 Cambridge 39.3 
			 Cannock 69.0 
			 Canterbury 62.6 
			 Cardiff 49.4 
			 Cardigan 24.5 
			 Carlisle 61.2 
			 Carmarthen 30.0 
			 Chelmsford 59.7 
			 Cheltenham (St George's Road) 49.5 
			 Chester 56.9 
			 Chesterfield (Tapton Lane) 65.9 
			 Chichester 62.0 
			 Chippenham 52.7 
			 Chorley 78.2 
			 City of London 90.3 
			 City of Westminster 117.2 
			 Coalville 28.9 
			 Colchester (Town Hall) 58.7 
			 Consett 70.8 
			 Corby 51.4 
			 Coventry 69.1 
			 Crawley 90.9 
			 Crewe 58.6 
			 Cromer 22.0 
			 Croydon 63.8 
			 Cwmbran 70.9 
			 Darlington 54.3 
			 Dartford 80.0 
			 Daventry 45.6 
			 Denbigh 14.0 
			 Derby (St Mary's Gate) 67.7 
			 Dewsbury 53.6 
			 Didcot 50.5 
			 Dolgellau 39.0 
			 Doncaster 64.0 
			 Dover 49.0 
			 Dudley 65.8 
			 Durham 53.5 
			 Ealing 78.8 
			 Eastbourne 65.3 
			 Ely 21.6 
			 Enfield 75.2 
			 Epping 30.1 
			 Exeter 70.8 
			 Fareham 77.2 
			 Feltham 79.5 
			 Fenland 32.6 
			 Fleetwood 64.1 
			 Flint 27.4 
			 Folkestone 77.1 
			 Gateshead 82.2 
			 Gloucester (Barbican Way) 35.2 
			 Goole 33.0 
			 Gosforth 33.1 
			 Grantham 33.0 
			 Grays 66.0 
			 Great Yarmouth 40.5 
			 Greenwich 88.5 
			 Grimsby 71.0 
			 Guildford 58.4 
			 Halesowen 8.7 
			 Harlow 77.1 
			 Harrogate 49.1 
			 Harrow 95.0 
			 Hartlepool 71.0 
			 Harwich 36.5 
			 Hastings 80.1 
			 Haverfordwest 53.4 
			 Havering 76.7 
			 Haywards Heath 52.4 
			 Hemel Hempstead 53.6 
			 Hendon 81.9 
			 Hereford 67.4 
			 Hertford 62.8 
			 Highbury Corner 86.3 
			 Highgate 57.3 
			 Hinckley 48.4 
			 Holyhead 34.4 
			 Honiton 15.2 
			 Horsham 33.6 
			 Huddersfield 46.4 
			 Hull and Holderness 61.8 
			 Huntingdon 42.9 
			 Hyndburn 71.9 
			 ILCFPC 95.1 
			 Ilkeston 8.6 
			 Ipswich 57.0 
			 Kendal 31.6 
			 Kettering 72.5 
			 Kidderminster 55.4 
			 King's Lynn 69.6 
			 Kingston upon Thames 60.8 
			 Knowsley 55.6 
			 Lancaster 55.0 
			 Langbaurgh East 52.0 
			 Leeds 64.6 
			 Leicester 79.4 
			 Lewes 38.6 
			 Leyland 64.1 
			 Lincoln 53.7 
			 Liskeard 16.6 
			 Liverpool (Dale St) 48.1 
			 Llandrindod Wells (Brecon) 63.2 
			 Llandrindod Wells (Welshpool) 10.2 
			 Llandudno 71.8 
			 Llanelli 54.7 
			 Llangefni 12.9 
			 Loughborough 55.6 
			 Lowestoft 44.4 
			 Ludlow 59.5 
			 Luton 68.7 
			 Lyndhurst 56.6 
			 Macclesfield (Hibel Rd) 72.4 
			 Maidenhead 60.2 
			 Maidstone 86.7 
			 Manchester City 74.1 
			 Mansfield (Rosemary St) 52.3 
			 Market Drayton 19.0 
			 Market Harborough 29.0 
			 Medway (Chatham) 64.6 
			 Melton Mowbray 32.9 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 49.5 
			 Milton Keynes 65.1 
			 Mold 67.7 
			 Neath and Port Talbot 43.5 
			 Newark 59.8 
			 Newbury 66.9 
			 Newcastle under Lyme 73.6 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 84.4 
			 Newport 63.4 
			 Newport (Civic Centre) 87.4 
			 Newport (Clarence House) 57.8 
			 Newton Abbot 51.7 
			 Newton Aycliffe 73.4 
			 North Liverpool Community Justice Centre 74.5 
			 North London Family Proceedings Court 79.8 
			 North Tyneside 71.9 
			 Northallerton 80.3 
			 Northampton 81.7 
			 Northwich 75.3 
			 Norwich 65.1 
			 Nottingham (Carrington St) 57.7 
			 Nuneaton 84.9 
			 Oldham 62.7 
			 Ormskirk 52.1 
			 Oswestry 28.0 
			 Oxford 68.9 
			 Penrith 37.5 
			 Penzance 9.6 
			 Peterborough 44.0 
			 Peterlee 76.9 
			 Plymouth 60.2 
			 Pontefract 71.4 
			 Pontypridd 47.0 
			 Poole 55.3 
			 Portsmouth 75.0 
			 Prestatyn 58.7 
			 Preston 86.9 
			 Pwllheli 25.7 
			 Reading 91.1 
			 Redbridge 84.0 
			 Redditch 62.1 
			 Redhill 74.0 
			 Reedley 41.9 
			 Retford 26.0 
			 Richmond upon Thames 82.1 
			 Rochdale 70.5 
			 Rossendale 22.2 
			 Rotherham 58.6 
			 Rugby 58.4 
			 Runcorn 54.8 
			 Salford 44.3 
			 Salisbury (Guildhall) 60.8 
			 Scarborough 62.1 
			 Scunthorpe 81.7 
			 Selby 53.4 
			 Sevenoaks 78.9 
			 Sheffield 65.0 
			 Shrewsbury 60.7 
			 Sittingbourne 61.3 
			 Skegness 42.4 
			 Skipton 48.4 
			 Slough 101.2 
			 Solihull 67.4 
			 South East Northumberland 70.3 
			 South Tyneside Law Courts 66.4 
			 South Western 84.3 
			 Southampton (The Avenue) 60.0 
			 Southend on Sea 49.3 
			 Southport 61.8 
			 Spalding 41.9 
			 St Albans 75.2 
			 St Helens 58.7 
			 Stafford 46.3 
			 Staines 72.8 
			 Stevenage 66.9 
			 Stockport 45.2 
			 Stoke on Trent 80.2 
			 Stratford 69.7 
			 Stratford upon Avon 83.9 
			 Stroud 42.7 
			 Sudbury 22.9 
			 Sunderland and Houghton-le-Spring 64.6 
			 Sutton 40.5 
			 Sutton Coldfield 65.1 
			 Swaffham 22.7 
			 Swansea 71.3 
			 Swindon 64.4 
			 Tameside 74.6 
			 Tamworth 66.5 
			 Taunton 56.8 
			 Teesside 77.6 
			 Telford 62.6 
			 Thames 90.7 
			 Thanet (Margate) 91.3 
			 Thetford 31.1 
			 Torquay 87.4 
			 Torquay County Court 14.9 
			 Towcester 36.9 
			 Trafford 85.5 
			 Truro 60.9 
			 Tynedale 84.1 
			 Uxbridge 83.3 
			 Wakefield 61.6 
			 Walsall 82.0 
			 Waltham Forest 71.4 
			 Warley 74.2 
			 Warrington (Arpley Street) 79.2 
			 Watford 63.6 
			 Wellingborough 64.6 
			 Welshpool 43.5 
			 West Bromwich 43.9 
			 West London 95.7 
			 Weston Super Mare 64.1 
			 Weymouth 19.9 
			 Whitehaven 48.0 
			 Wigan 72.8 
			 Wimbledon 85.3 
			 Wimborne 5.0 
			 Witham 46.0 
			 Witney 30.6 
			 Woking 65.7 
			 Wolverhampton 54.4 
			 Worcester 79.1 
			 Workington 72.9 
			 Worksop 47.6 
			 Worthing 64.6 
			 Wrexham 69.6 
			 Wycombe 80.9 
			 Yate 59.2 
			 Yeovil 28.8 
			 York 67.3 
			 England and Wales 62.7 
			  Notes: 1. The data source is HMCS Performance Database (OPT). 2. This data was subject to the minimum data quality checks. 3. Courtroom Utilisation is the total number of hours used for judicial business in all courtrooms, divided by the total number of court hours available to be used.

Prison Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many reports the Prison Service has received of inappropriate relationships between prison inmates and prison staff in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: Allegations of inappropriate relationships, as with other information relating to prison security, are reported using a Security Information Report (SIR). All SIRs have to be evaluated for quality, accuracy and intelligence value. Reporting levels can be driven by interpretation and subjective perceptions of particular circumstances and individuals, malicious reporting and the possibility of duplication. The number of SIRs submitted, therefore, does not provide a true reflection of risk. As with other concerns relating to potential corrupt activities, SIRs relating to potential inappropriate relationships are forwarded to the NOMS Corruption Prevention Unit for further development, analysis and potentially tasking activity.
	NOMS will always seek to deal robustly with any member of staff engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner and will look to use internal disciplinary and/or criminal proceedings depending on the circumstances of the case. Data collected from each prison shows that 258 individuals (directly and non directly employed) have been convicted, dismissed or excluded by NOMS since January 2008 for corruption related offences. 126 of these individuals are recorded under the category of 'Inappropriate Relationship' (five convicted, 85 excluded and 36 dismissed).
	 Note:
	These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems maintained by the Corruption Prevention Unit which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The 'results' data do not take account of those cases where there is an ongoing suspension, arrest or prosecution, or where there has been a resignation due to a corruption related reason, prior to a formal disciplinary or criminal outcome.

Probation Officers: Administration

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the working day which probation officers spend  (a) with offenders and  (b) on computer-based administrative tasks.

Crispin Blunt: Delivery structures across probation areas vary as do the requirements of specific roles and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not routinely report on the proportion of working time spent in face to face contact with offenders. In December 2008, NOMS undertook a snapshot survey over a one week period, based on a small sample of probation officer (PO) and probation service officer (PSO) staff. It reported that across England and Wales 24% of PO/PSO time was spent in direct contact with offenders, 41% was involved in computer activity and 35% of time was spent on non-computer-dealing with correspondence, meetings, travel, etc.
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is taking a number of actions to increase the amount of contact time between probation staff and offenders. These include:
	initiating the Offender Engagement Programme to evaluate and improve the quality of face to face work with offenders and its impact on reoffending. This includes work to reduce the bureaucratic demands on operational staff to enable them to: spend a greater proportion of work time in one to one engagement, exercise their professional judgment in personalising the work and engaging with offenders.
	As part of this programme the current heavily prescriptive, process-focused national standards are being revised, switching the focus from practitioners to what offenders do and achieve during the course of their supervision period.
	the Specifications Benchmarking and Costing programme which is on track to publish specifications for approximately 75 services delivered to offenders, defendants, victims and courts. This work is supporting decentralisation by removing unnecessary prescription-specifying "what" must be delivered but not "how" it should be delivered by clearly stating the outcomes required from the services provided by probation. It supports innovation and localism-by offering clear choices to commissioners on the core services to deliver, to which types of offenders and with the flexibility to commission options to reflect local circumstances; and it is driving improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, allocating resources to the assessment and management of offenders according to the level of risk;
	as part of the Probation Trusts Programme all areas (including locally initiated mergers) have identified efficiencies through for example the reduction in management overheads, and development, of shared services, to the benefit of front line staffing levels;
	expanding the use of video conferencing to reduce the time probation staff spend travelling to interview prisoners; and
	A pilot in Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust to enable the use of professional judgement in deciding how to work most effectively with each individual.
	A new performance framework which is currently being piloted in Surrey and Sussex contains around half the current number of indicators with a view to rolling out nationally from April 2011.
	Within the financial constraints placed on all public services NOMS is committed to ensuring that resources continue to be targeted on front line work.

Special Educational Needs

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of the Special Educational Needs Tribunal Service.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	In November 2008 the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) was transferred to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal under the authority of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. The Tribunal has jurisdiction in England only. The Tribunals Service regularly reviews the processes of the Tribunal and its rules of procedure in consultation with stakeholders and user groups, including parental representative bodies. Tribunals Service officials are in regular contact with officials at the Department for Education.
	The Tribunals Service Framework Document requires the agency to report the First-tier Tribunal-Special Educational Needs and. Disability's performance in its Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House and on the Tribunals Service website:
	www.tribunals.gov.uk
	The Tribunal aims for 75% of hearings to take place within 22 weeks of registration of the appeal. In 2009/10 the percentage of cases disposed of within 22 weeks of receipt was 82%. The Tribunals Service has also published detailed official annual statistics for the operational year 2009-10 and, most recently, for the first quarter of 2010-11. The performance has risen to 83% for this first quarter.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department and its predecessors spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education was established under the machinery of government on 12 May 2010 therefore the response covers its predecessors the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) which was established on 28 June 2007 and the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) which was established on 8 June 2001. To provide the information that has been requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there will be changes to the surface warship refurbishment workstream for Rosyth dockyard following the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Peter Luff: holding answer 26 October 2010
	As has been the practice since the formation of the Surface Ship Support Alliance (SSSA), discussions have been continuous between members of the SSSA (the Department, Babcock Marine and BAE Systems Surface Ships) about the best allocation of the forward programme of upkeep periods for the Royal Navy surface warships. Following the strategic defence and security review, it is too early to say what changes might be required to the programme at Rosyth and elsewhere in the SSSA.

Air Force: Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to improve simulated training in the Royal Air Force.

Nick Harvey: The Royal Air Force's (RAF) use of simulators already forms a key element through the full spectrum of training provided to RAF personnel from basic training onwards. The use of simulators offers cost-effective and practical training for a wide range of appropriate and relevant skills and the RAF is working closely with the Ministry of Defence, allies and industry to maximise the benefits available from this approach. In particular, the RAF is currently developing two major simulator based projects. The first links realistic simulation environments for training fast jet pilots, ISTAR (Intelligence Surveillance Targeting, Acquisition and Reconnaissance) and aviation specialisations. This is planned to enter service with the RAF in 2013. The second aims to deliver an enhanced training capability in support of the RAF's air transport capability, including the C130J and A400M aircraft. This project is also planned to be in use by 2013. However, it needs to be recognised that a significant irreducible element of live flying training by the RAF will be required to maintain the safe operation of front-line aircraft for the foreseeable future.

Astute Class Submarines

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the seventh Astute-class submarine.

Peter Luff: On 19 October 2010, the strategic defence and security review (SDSR) (Cm7948) confirmed the Department's intention to purchase the seventh Astute class submarine. It also stated that the Department will work with British industry to improve efficiency and optimise its capacity to build and support submarines.
	The outcome of this work will inform the procurement costs and in-service dates for the Astute class submarines, including boat 7. It will not be possible to confirm this information until it has been approved through the Department's and HM Treasury's formal investment approvals processes.

Atomic Weapons Establishment: Fire Regulations

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigation his Department has undertaken into the fire protection procedures at AWE Aldermaston following the fire in August 2010.

Peter Luff: holding answer 26 October 2010
	The Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation has undertaken two investigations into the Atomic Weapons Establishment's fire protection procedures as a result of the fire that occurred on 3 August. One investigation focused on the cause of the fire and the other focused on the fire and rescue services' operational response.

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what allowances and payments in addition to salary were available to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997; and what the monetary value was of payments and allowances of each type in each such year.

Peter Luff: The Department currently has over 500 pay-related allowances and payments in addition to salary available to civilian staff, the majority of which are listed on the People, Pay and Pensions Agency (PPPA) website:
	http://www.pppaservices.qinetiq-tim.com/https@knowledge.chris.r.mil.uk/pppa/index@page=content&id=us131&cat=pay_and _expenses&actp=list.htm
	Travel and subsistence claims and transfer allowances are payable to civilian staff, in addition to salary. These are listed on the PPPA website:
	http://www.pppaservices.qinetiq-tim.com/https@knowledge.chris.r.mil.uk/pppa/index@page=content&id=pr200&cat=travel_and _subsistence&actp=list.htm
	Information on the monetary value of each type of allowance and payment in each year since 1997 is not held in the format requested, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, information is available from July 2007, but will take a short while to compile. I will write to my hon. Friend with the information as soon as possible.
	As the strategic defence and security review made clear, we intend to simplify the allowance structure, as part of an update of the current package of terms and conditions of service.

Ex-servicemen: Unemployment

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made an estimate of the number of former members of the armed services of working age who are unemployed; and what steps his Department is taking to  (a) provide support to and  (b) assist with access to training for such former personnel to help them back into employment.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence is unable to estimate the number of former members of the armed forces of working age who are unemployed, however, all service personnel, regardless of time served are entitled to some form of resettlement. Data to improve our understanding of the situation are being gathered in order to make our system of resettlement more personalised and sophisticated. This can range from advice on how to find employment, through to formal training activity to complement the transferable skills they have acquired through service. All injured service personnel who are discharged will receive the full resettlement package, that in some cases can be deferred until they are well enough to undertake resettlement activity.
	The most recent data available from the NAO show that resettlement outcomes remain impressive: over 90% of personnel who transition using the services of the Career Transition Partnership (a partnering arrangement between MOD and Right Management Limited, a leading specialist outplacement company) are in employment within six months of being discharged. Nevertheless, the MOD recognises that making the transition from the armed forces into civilian life can be daunting and we are doing more to enhance the resettlement package.
	Prior to discharge, individual employment needs are identified from a mandatory interview with a trained service resettlement adviser who is able to signpost to a number of organisations and services ranging from the 'Flexible New Deal' programme available at Jobcentre Plus through to workshops and training delivered through the Career Transition Partnership. For those that have left, lifetime job finding support is available through the Officers' Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association. There are also various regimental associations, for example RAJA (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (REME) Association Job Agency) who provide further help for former soldiers of certain regiments.
	In addition, the MOD has been working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions and armed forces champions have been appointed that aim to ensure Jobcentre Plus staff are providing the correct advice and support, not only to families of our armed forces but also to former service personnel.

Military Aircraft: Guided Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which aircraft in the RAF can use the  (a) Harpoon AGM-84 D and  (b) Sting Ray missile.

Peter Luff: No RAF aircraft have the capability to carry these weapon systems; indeed the Harpoon AGM-84D variant was withdrawn from service in 2004. However, the Royal Navy (RN) retains a variety of platforms capable of using both Sting Ray and Harpoon, or other weapons systems with a similar capability. In the anti-shipping role, RN Frigates are fitted with Harpoon, while Lynx helicopters carry the Sea Skua missile. Both RN Merlin and Lynx helicopters are capable of delivering the Sting Ray Torpedo.

Nuclear Fuels

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish an update on the quantities of  (a) plutonium,  (b) enriched uranium and  (c) other special nuclear materials that are outside international safeguards.

Liam Fox: We have no plans to publish follow up documents to the historical accounts of defence fissile material holdings. The Government are committed to transparency and openness about the Defence nuclear programme when compatible with national security and the UK's international obligations under article 1 of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. We will keep under review the opportunities for greater openness on other special nuclear material holdings.

Royal Navy: Manpower

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effects on HMNB Clyde of the proposed reduction of Royal Navy staff by 5,000 by 2015.

Peter Luff: holding answer 26 October 2010
	The impact of the strategic defence and security review announcements on personnel numbers across all of the naval service's activities is currently being assessed. Reductions will be achieved through a combination of natural wastage and compulsory redundancy over the four-year planning round period. Initial numbers and profiles will be established over the next few months and refined in subsequent planning rounds. It is therefore too early to judge the effects on specific locations of the planned reductions in the number of Royal Navy personnel.

Warships

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent jobs he expects to be dependent on keeping Royal Navy ships in extended readiness in 2011-12;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the average cost of keeping a Royal Navy ship in extended readiness for 12 months in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what procedures his Department uses to enable companies to bid for work involved in placing a Royal Navy ship into extended readiness.
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the average cost of placing a Royal Navy ship into extended readiness in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(5)  what the procedure is for a Royal Navy ship to be placed into extended readiness.

Peter Luff: The procedures for placing a Royal Navy warship into extended readiness vary depending on the length of time the platform is planned to be at this readiness level and the future plans for the vessel. The Surface Ship Support Alliance (SSSA) manage the work required to place warships in extended readiness through agreement between its members: the Ministry of Defence, Babcock Marine and BAE Systems Surface Ships.
	The most recent warship to be placed in extended readiness was HMS Invincible. The work to prepare her for extended readiness took place during 2005-06 and cost £2.5 million. The cost of keeping her in extended readiness is estimated at approximately £52,000 a year. It is important to note that as HMS Invincible is an aircraft carrier at the end of her service life, these costs cannot be considered representative of the average cost of placing or keeping any other Royal Naval ship in extended readiness.
	Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review announcement, further work is under way to identify the package of work required to ensure that ships placed in extended readiness in 2011-12 are maintained in the appropriate condition. It is not possible to say with any accuracy the level of manpower resource needed to support the Royal Navy ships in extended readiness until this is complete.

Child Benefit: Scotland

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Scotland earning over £37,401 receive child benefit.

David Gauke: HMRC estimate that around 26,000 adults in Scotland have incomes over £37,401 and also received child benefit payments in 2009-10.

Departmental Sick Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in his Department have had  (a) fewer than five days,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days,  (f) 25 to 50 days,  (g) 50 to 75 days,  (h) 75 to 100 days,  (i) 100 to 150 days,  (j) 150 to 200 days,  (k) more than 200 days,  (l) more than three months,  (m) more than six months and  (n) one year on paid sick leave (i) consecutively and (ii) in total in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: Sick absence for HM Treasury is recorded and monitored on the electronic HR system, however it is not recorded in the format required for this PQ. Therefore the information requested could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	However the Cabinet Office has published previous annual sickness absence sickness reports for the Civil Service (2003-2007), these can be viewed at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/resources/sickness/sickness.aspx

EU Budget

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the increased EU budget contributions agreed in the European Parliament on 20 October 2010.

Justine Greening: holding answer 26 October 2010
	 I and other Government Ministers are working hard to make the case to our counterparts across the European Union for a freeze in the EU budget.
	We have been absolutely clear that we cannot accept the 6% budget increase from 2010 levels, proposed by the Commission at the start of these negotiations. We also therefore oppose the European Parliament's suggested budget increase, which-while still representing a 6% increase overall-is higher still than the Commission's proposal. This is completely out of step with the very tough fiscal consolidation measures being taken not just in the UK, but also by governments across the EU.
	In Brussels on 14 October, I strongly urged MEPs not to support such an increase, and will continue to engage in this way.

Poverty: Children

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his statement of 20 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 949-63, on the Comprehensive Spending Review, what estimate he has made, based on the model referred to in the statement of the likely effect on the level of child poverty of implementation of the proposals in the Spending Review in each of the next four years.

Justine Greening: The spending review announced a package of reforms to reduce the deficit while supporting the most vulnerable. This included withdrawing child benefit from families with a higher rate taxpayer, and using some of savings to fund above-indexation increases in the child tax credit. As a result, the spending review will have no measurable impact on child poverty in the next two years.
	The Prime Minister has asked Frank Field MP to conduct an Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances in the UK. This review will inform the Government's longer term child poverty strategy, which will be published in March.
	Estimates of the impact of spending review measures on the number of children in relative poverty after 2012-13 are not available due to reservations over forecasting median household incomes (from which low-income poverty thresholds are calculated) further ahead.

Public Expenditure

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what  (a) growth and  (b) inflation assumptions he based the estimates used in the Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The CSR estimates were prepared on the basis of growth and inflation forecasts produced by the OBR for the June Budget; these are included in Table C5: Determinants of the fiscal forecast of the Budget.

Public Expenditure

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conditions he plans to attach to the support provided to Augusta Westland civil rotocraft design and manufacture referred to in the Spending Review 2010.

Danny Alexander: In line with standard practice, the precise terms and conditions of such support will be commercially confidential.

Senior Civil Servants : Redundancy

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of making redundant an HM Revenue and Customs official in a Senior Civil Service grade.

David Gauke: holding answer 19 October 2010
	Estimates for the cost of redundancy depend on the individual(s) concerned and the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS), which is currently being reviewed with primary legislation also currently going through Parliament.
	The latest update on this can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/101007-compensation.aspx
	which includes a stylised example of the cost of making a very senior civil servant redundant under proposed new CSCS terms. The cost calculated would apply to a senior employee of HMRC who had the salary and length of service given in the example.
	To date HMRC have not made any member of the senior civil service (SCS) compulsorily redundant, and will continue to do all that it can to avoid compulsory redundancies as far as practically possible.

Taxation: Construction

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the average time taken by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to issue a unique taxpayer reference number; what steps HMRC is taking to reduce that time; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: In September HMRC published a revised turnaround time of eight weeks for the issue of a Unique Tax Payer Reference (UTR). This timing represents the turnaround from the customer posting the application until processing has been completed and the customer receives the appropriate output. It is currently taking up to nine weeks for a UTR to be issued and plans are in place to reduce this to six weeks by the end of the year.
	Detailed analysis of the full end to end process involving agents and other interested parties is currently under way to identify potential improvements with the aim of delivering a more streamlined and more efficient process in the future.

Third Sector: Finance

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Minister for Civil Society on the likely effects of the outcome of the Spending Review on funding for voluntary and community organisations.

Justine Greening: Ministers from Cabinet Office and HM Treasury are in regular contact and have discussed the potential impact of the spending review on the sector. This includes ways of helping voluntary and community organisations transition to a tighter funding environment and future opportunities presented by increased public service delivery.
	At spending review a £100 million transitional fund was announced to further support those in this sector in their work providing front line public services.

VAT

Chris Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the potential effect on retail prices of implementation of the change in the rate of VAT to 20 per cent.

David Gauke: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), who have been asked to reply.

Working Tax Credit: Scotland

Anne Begg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of households in  (a) Aberdeen South constituency,  (b) Aberdeen local authority and  (c) Scotland which will be affected by the freezing of the (i) basic and (ii) 30 hour element of working tax credit;
	(2)  whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of households in  (a) Aberdeen South constituency,  (b) Aberdeen local authority and  (c) Scotland which will be affected by the proposed reduction of the percentage of childcare costs which parents may claim through the childcare element of the working tax credit;
	(3)  whether he has made an estimate of the number of households in  (a) Aberdeen South constituency,  (b) Aberdeen local authority and  (c) Scotland which will be affected by proposed implementation of the changes to the eligibility rules for working tax credits.

David Gauke: The Government have frozen the basic and 30 hour elements of working tax credit, reduced the proportion of child care costs that can be claimed from 80% to 70%, and changed the working hours rule so that couples with children have to work 24 hours between them to be eligible for working tax credit. To ensure support is better targeted at low income families with children, some of the savings from these measures have been recycled into increases to the child tax credit in 2011-12 and 2012-13 such that there is no measurable negative impact on child poverty.
	All families who are entitled to tax credits will be affected by this package.
	The latest information on the number of households benefiting from tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency and local authority, is available in the HMRC snapshot publication 'Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses', available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

Children: Health

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department allocated to projects on the health of children aged under five years in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Stephen O'Brien: Efforts to improve the health of children under-five are an important part of many of Department for International Development funded programmes and of our efforts to strengthen health systems in partner countries. However it is not possible to disaggregate expenditure to improve the health of children under-five from our wider healthcare spend without incurring disproportionate cost.
	In 2008-09 DFID's total spend on health was over £1 billion. Figures for 2009-10 will be available in January 2011.
	Details of DFID's bilateral projects, including a summary description of each, are published in the project database on the DFID website.

Columbia: Overseas Aid

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what objectives were set for the outcome of projects in Colombia funded by his Department in the last five years; and what mechanisms were used to assess the outcomes of such projects against those objectives.

Stephen O'Brien: Projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) in Colombia in the last five years focused on reducing poverty and inequality in line with the international community's commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Objectives included increasing the access of poor and excluded people to credit, promoting the active role of women in decision making, and supporting those displaced by civil conflict or disasters. DFID's regional office in Bolivia closed in September 2008.
	All DFID development partners provide detailed annual reporting and monitoring information. This allows DFID to check the progress of funded interventions against pre-defined objectives and plans and assess whether it has achieved desired outcomes at the end of a project.
	DFID's work in Columbia is also being assessed as part of the ongoing bilateral and multilateral aid reviews, which will report early next year.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the International Organisation for Migration on the return of internally-displaced people in Sri Lanka to their homes.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has funded two humanitarian programmes with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), both of which are now complete. Officials in the British high commission in Colombo continue to monitor the situation of the internally displaced people and are in regular communication with agencies based in Sri Lanka including the IOM.
	With DFID funds, IOM was able to transport internally displaced people from camps back to resettlement areas and provided them with transitional shelter after they arrived.